California Chrome, four others, gallop at Churchill ahead of Preakness

The five horses under consideration for next Saturday's

$1.5 million Preakness Stakes stabled at Churchill Downs galloped Friday

morning.

Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome galloped 1 1/2

miles over the fast track on the warm Friday morning with

exercise rider Willie Delgado aboard.

"He was strong this morning," said Alan Sherman, assistant to his father,

trainer Art Sherman. "The track was a little cuppy this morning."

Rain began falling after training hours Friday and sporadic

showers were expected to continue through the day and night and into training

hours Saturday. Prior to the Derby, California Chrome trained on a sealed track

the first two days after his arrival.

"We'll play it by ear tomorrow," Alan Sherman said. "If the track is in good

shape, I don't mind training on it."

California Chrome stood quietly for seven minutes at the

five-furlong gap before his morning activity and calmly walked back to the barn

with Delgado all smiles.

Illinois Derby hero Dynamic Impact

galloped 1 1/2 miles before the morning renovation break under the Twin Spires with

exercise rider Marco Cano aboard. Now riding a two-race win streak, the Tiznow

colt is

scheduled to work Saturday morning with jockey Miguel Mena up.

"He will be in the 6 o'clock (EDT) set," said Norman Casse, assistant to his

father, trainer Mark Casse. "I don't like to work on a wet track, so we will see

how it is. We may wait (until Sunday to work)."

Ride On Curlin galloped 1 1/8 miles

under exercise rider Bryan Beccia for trainer Billy Gowan after the morning

renovation break at Churchill Downs. Seventh in the Kentucky Derby last

Saturday, the bay son of Curlin returned to the track Wednesday and has followed a similar exercise

for three consecutive mornings.

"He just ran a mile and a quarter and he is coming back in

two weeks," Gowan said. "He doesn't need to do much."

"I liked his looks and that pedigree...when I saw that, I

had to go in," Gowan said. "How did I get him for $25,000? I don't know. Ask the

other buyers."

Canadian champion Ria Antonia, sixth in the Kentucky Oaks in her most recent start, galloped 1

1/2 miles at

Churchill with Maurice Sanchez aboard for trainer Tom Amoss. The Rockport Harbor

filly arrived in the Amoss barn on Monday, and Friday

marked the fourth time Sanchez had been aboard.

"She has a beautiful way of going," said Sanchez, who was the exercise rider

for Mylute, the third-place finisher in last year's Preakness. "All I have to do

is keep her safe."

Bayern visited the starting gate and then

galloped 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Jorge Alvarez on Friday morning at

Churchill. Never off the board in four starts for trainer Bob Baffert,

the Offlee Wild colt is scheduled to work Monday and ship to Baltimore on Wednesday.

New shooters Pablo del Monte and Kid Cruz galloped on their home tracks Friday

morning as they moved toward final works for the Preakness.

Pablo del Monte, third in the Blue Grass Stakes in his last race, galloped at Keeneland for trainer and

co-owner Wesley Ward. Ward decided to scratch and wait for the Preakness

rather than start the Giant's Causeway colt from post 20 in the Derby. Jockey Jeffery

Sanchez will ride the chestnut in the Preakness.

Kid Cruz is scheduled to be shipped from New York to

Baltimore on Monday. The son of Lemon Drop Kid galloped over the muddy training

track at Belmont Park on Friday morning. Julian Pimentel, who has ridden Kid

Cruz to a pair of stakes wins in Maryland including a 3 1/2-length victory in

the Federico Tesio, will be back aboard in the Preakness.